96 / 161
UNION EUROPÉENNE DES MÉDEC INS SPÉC IAL I STES
EUROPEAN UNION OF MEDI CAL SPEC IAL I STS
Association internationale sans but lucratif – International non-profit organisation
A
VENUE DE LA
C
OURONNE
, 20 4
T +32 2 649 51 64
BE- 1050 BRUSSELS
F +32 2 640 37 30
www.uems.net info@uems.netThe intellectual context for the use of MCQs
The intellectual content of MCQs must always relate back to a published curriculum. Good test
question writing begins with identifying the most important information or skill that is to be learned;
therefore a direct relationship between objectives and test items must exist.
The MCQs should be seen as a mechanism for ensuring that the candidate possesses an appropriate
depth of knowledge across the entire Curriculum. Therefore, the test items should come directly
from the objectives embedded within that curriculum. They should focus on important and relevant
content with some topics deemed to have greater relevance and importance than others. It is the
responsibility of the exam-setting group to commission appropriate numbers of questions dependent
on the predetermined importance of each topic.
Strengths and Limitations of MCQs
As pointed out at the beginning of this introduction, “no single type of assessment can be considered
as being perfect”. It therefore becomes important to review what are the strengths and limitations
of MCQs, the most popular methodological form of assessment currently used by the majority of
educational communities.
Strengths:
1)
Scoring is easy, objective and reliable. Marking the exam can be undertaken by computer
methods rather than the introduction of costly and potentially erratic human factors.
a)
Scores are more reliable than subjectively scored items (e.g essays)
b) Scores are less influenced by guessing than true-false items (avoids the absolute
judgments found in True-False question formats).
2)
Can cover a lot of material very efficiently (about one item/minute of testing), allowing the
assessment of a broad sample of achievement.
3)
Capable of assessing learning outcomes that cover different cognitive learning levels.
4)
Provides highly structured and clear tasks where the “correct” answers are predetermined and
therefore, do not involve subjective judgments.
5)
Incorrect alternatives provide diagnostic information.